Charlie Vogt

Charlie Vogt is the CEO of DZS, a global leader in Broadband Connectivity, 5G Optical Transport and Software Defined Networking serving more than 700 Communications Service Providers. DZS marquee service provider customers include Airtel, AT&T, Bouygues, Deutsche Telkom, Etisalat, KT, LGU+, Liberty, Lumen, Mobily, Rakuten, SKB, Softbank, STC, Telefonica, TELUS, True and Viettel and is publicly traded on the Nasdaq under the stock symbol DZSI.

Vogt has spent his professional career executing visionary strategies resulting in unprecedented growth in communications markets. Prior to DZS, Vogt served as Chairman and CEO of ATX Networks, a global leader in HFC, Broadband Access and Media Distribution solutions to more than 200 MSO Cable and Communication Companies including Comcast, Charter, Cox, Altice, Liberty Global and Dish.

Before that, Vogt was CEO of Imagine Communications, a global leader of Broadband Access, Media Content and Networking solutions to more than 1,500 TV Networks, Broadcasters, MSOs and New Media spanning 185 countries. During Vogt’s tenure, he was instrumental in leading a transformation from its 40-year legacy Baseband technology to a cloud virtualized software defined networking IP architecture. He also created an Innovation Advisory Board (IAB) representing the industry’s luminary CTOs and Operations leaders, founded the Alliance for IP Multimedia Solutions and partnered with Disney to become the first global media company to move to the cloud.

From 2004 to 2013, Vogt served as CEO of GENBAND (today Ribbon Communications), a global leader in Access Networking and Optical Transport solutions. During Vogt’s nine-year tenure as CEO, the company acquired and integrated ten companies, expanded its operations to more than 50 countries and secured 80 percent of the world’s largest service providers as customers. Under his leadership, the company experienced a compound annual growth rate of 110 percent and increased operational earnings 9-fold. In 2012, The Wall Street Journal recognized GENBAND as the no. 1 privately-backed company in America, topping a list of 5,900 companies.

In 2002, Vogt was brought on to lead emerging VoIP company Taqua, marking his first stint as chief executive officer. In 2004, Taqua was acquired by then Tekelec (today, part of Oracle) delivering a 4x return to shareholders. Before joining Taqua, Vogt was instrumental in the operational and financial growth of four standard-setting technology companies including Accelerated Networks/Calix, ADTRAN and Ascend Communications that either became public companies or were acquired. Following Lucent Technologies’ $20 billion acquisition of Ascend Communications in 1999, Vogt became part of the sales leadership team responsible for ~$3.5 billion.

Vogt is an active public speaker and has received numerous awards for his leadership and corporate accomplishments including EY's “Entrepreneur of the Year,” Light Reading’s “Person of the Year,” Dallas MTBC’s “Corporate CEO of the Year,” Global Telecoms’ “Power 100,” Inc. 500 “Fastest-Growing Private Companies” and Saint Louis University’s “Hall of Fame.”

Vogt has been featured on Bloomberg TV with Kailey Leinz, Bloomberg Radio with Alisa Parenti, PBS’s CEO with Lee Cullum, Fox Business Open Bell with Maria Bartiromo, CNBC Squawk Box, Fox Business Closing Bell with Liz Claman and CEO Spotlight with KRLD David Johnson.